From The Shadows
by JolinarJackson
Summary: Sometimes, wrong is the only thing that's right.


**From The Shadows**

_Word Count: _698

_Summary:_ Sometimes, wrong is the only thing that's right.

_Characters: _Jack Harkness, the Doctor (Eleven)

_Pairing: _Jack/Ianto

_Rating: _PG

_Spoiler: Children Of Earth_

_Setting: _after _Children Of Earth_

_Crossover: _Doctor Who

_Crossover-Setting: _sometime after _The Eleventh Hour_

_Crossover-Spoilers: The Eleventh Hour_

_Warnings: _Mention of canon character deaths

_Author's Note: _Written for torchwood_las and the prompt _Mistakes_. The additional theme to use was _A type of weather_.

_Beta: _larsinger29, as always: thank you!

_Disclaimer: _I'm not making money with this fanfic. The tv-show _Torchwood _and the characters appearing within it belong to their producers and creators. Any similarities to living or dead persons are purely coincidental and not intended.

xxx

Rain was drifting in from the sea, chased by the wind, clinging to the wool of Jack's coat and dripping from his hair. He barely noticed, too distracted to be cold. His window of opportunity was closing fast but he had no idea if he should act. If he should execute the well thought out plan. Risk everything.

From his hiding place in the night's shadows between two buildings, Jack could see Ianto sitting in the brightly lit restaurant across the street, studying the menu. Every now and again, he checked the door or his watch. Jack knew who he was waiting for. He knew exactly when the wait would be over. He didn't have much time left. The last years had led to this very moment. After the 456, he'd left Earth, looking for the one person that could help him. He'd finally found John in the Vegas Galaxy and offered a deal for one trip with John's Vortex Manipulator.

He'd offered himself.

John had refused, just handed him the manipulator. _"Now we're even."_

Jack swallowed. He knew that he'd come too far to stop now but still … his Time Agent instincts were telling him not to interfere. They were hard to ignore.

He stepped off the curb.

"Jack, don't."

He turned around. A young man was standing there. Bright red braces, a tweed suit jacket and a bow tie. Jack didn't know him … did he? He squinted, saw something familiar in the man's eyes … "Doctor?"

"Hello, Jack."

He stepped towards the man. "You're so young."

"Older than the last time you saw me."

Jack looked back at the restaurant and his shoulders slumped in defeat when he saw his younger self rushing through the door, giving Ianto a kiss. "You distracted me."

"Yes." The Doctor stepped up next to him. "Are you mad at me?"

"I don't think I have the energy."

"Because you know this would have been a mistake."

Jack looked at the Doctor in disbelief. "How can rescuing him be a mistake?"

"He's not supposed to survive, Jack."

Anger spread through him at the Doctor's indifference. "That's not your decision!"

"If it was, _I_ would rescue him."

Jack was surprised. "You barely know him."

The Doctor looked at him as if he couldn't understand Jack's confusion. "He means enough to you to contemplate upsetting time itself. That's reason enough."

They stared towards the restaurant again, watching Ianto and the younger Jack. When Jack looked back at the Doctor, the streetlights showed him a troubled frown on the smooth face. Jack asked, "How do you decide who to rescue? Sometimes you go out of your way, other times ..."

"It's not my decision."

Jack stared at his younger self and Ianto. "I was so stupid. Thinking that ..." He sighed. "He's so strong, so brave ..."

"He has to be. There is only a very special blend of soul that can get close to you."

"I forgot how fragile he is ... what was I thinking, taking him with me?"

"Would you have been able to stop him?"

Jack smiled wryly. No, Ianto wouldn't have listened, but ... "I could have at least tried." He saw the younger Jack press a kiss on Ianto's hand. "A week later, he's dead. And I loved him."

"So you wanted to take him away tonight." The Doctor nodded in understanding. "But can you be sure that he would have come with you?"

"He's too loyal to me. That's always been a flaw."

"Jack, his death is a fixed point in time and space. What makes you think you can change it? He would say no and you know it."

"Then why did you stop me?"

"Because it would have broken your heart to hear him say no."

Jack looked back at his younger self and Ianto. "It feels wrong to turn my back on this."

"I know," the Doctor said, "but sometimes, wrong is the only thing that's right."

END

07/12


End file.
